Our nursery would not exist without our playful and caring, local community and we have been so proud to be able to share a sense of the warmth and fun that we experience every day.
It has been a difficult year with families kept apart, schools and playground closed and, whilst we are not there yet, we have been able to offer a covid-safe community get-together to take and share pictures on our own terms with our photographer, Jonathan Turner, giving us control of the shutter release so we choose when to take a picture.
Jonathan ensured that our children could be in control of all sorts of aspects of this project - from composition and timing to developing pictures - which fitted perfectly with our child-led ethos.
In the resulting exhibition, you really see the confidence of preschoolers and their sense of fun but each photo has its own story to tell such as the portrait of Patricia Jones, long-term nursery supporter and creator of local magazine Community Highlights. She has kept publishing through the pandemic, sharing stories of our community's resilience and irrepressible spirit alongside public health advice and practical support.
The photography project was originally conceived by current parent and trustee Lisa Labate, who felt we could explore an alternative to the usual photography firms that visit nurseries. We are very grateful for her guidance throughout this project that was delayed many times due to restrictions related to the pandemic.
We also very much appreciate Leeds Inspired in providing funding for a professional photographer to work with us - we have learned so much and hope these pictures will inspire you too.
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